It Takes One to Make One

It is my belief that every disciple is a Christian, but not every Christian is necessarily a disciple. The very word “disciple” means “a learner.” A disciple is a pupil, one who comes to be taught. But a disciple is not just a passively interested listener. The idea of a disciple is that of someone who listens to someone else who possesses full knowledge, and they drink in every word and mark every inflection of the voice with an intense desire to apply what has been taught. A disciple really wants to learn.

I daydreamed my way through a good portion of my early education. But I have found that I will listen when something is important to me. I have also found that I will listen if I think my life might depend on it. I must admit that when I fly, I don’t listen all that closely to the flight attendants’ safety procedures at the beginning of the flight. I will note where the emergency exits are and then go on with whatever I am doing. However, if the plane were going down and I knew that I had 20 minutes before impact, you can be sure I would listen carefully if that announcement were given one more time. Why? Because my life would depend upon it.

A disciple is one who listens carefully and pays attention, because the most important thing is to know what God requires, what God desires, and what God wills. Does that describe you? Are you His disciple? To obey His marching orders to go into all the world and make disciples, we need to know what a disciple really is. After all, it takes one to make one.

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